One of the last novels this pedometer geek read was an Advanced Reader’s Edition of Jessica Shuttuck’s The Women in the Castle. It was received from the publisher through a Bookperks giveaway, and the book was just released on the 28th of March. This is the extended review.

The Women in the Castle

by Jessica Shattuck

Published by William Morrow, 2017

an imprint of HarperCollins Publisher

ISBN: 978-0-06-256366-8

Set before, during, and after World War II, this is a sweeping historical novel of (primarily) three women who lived through the atrocities of Hitler and the war in Germany. Set in a crumbling Bavarian castle that once played host to German high society, it is a story that sheds a different light on the war.

Marianne von Lingenfels, Benita Flederman, and Ania Grarbarek are three very different women, and each has a unique story to tell, lies to conceal, and families to rear in difficult times. The three come together, all living in a cold, drafty castle in Germany as their lives, as they knew it, are forever changed in the aftermath of the devastating events of the war.

Resistor and newly widowed Marianne feels it is her duty to protect and save those who have become displaced by the Nazis and the war itself.

Benita is the wife of Marianne’s childhood friend, Constantine (known as Connie), and is the first of the women that Marianne knows she must save. Like her own husband Albrecht, Connie was hanged in a failed plot to assassinate Hitler. On the night of the last harvest party at the castle, Connie asked her to protect the women and children, particularly to watch out for Benita and his son Martin if anything should happen to him. In a sense, that mandate to uphold the promise she made to her husband’s conspirators: to find and protect their wives, her fellow resistance widows, sets the story in motion.

Ania is a woman who is escaping the Russian soldiers marching east even as the German soldiers are marching west. Caught between opposing forces, she and her children find protection under Marianne’s roof. Of the three she struck this reader as the most resilient of them all.

The trio of women and their children form a kind of family, yet it’s often an uneasy alliance because each of the women hides secrets from the others. Bonds are formed; lives become intertwined and are transformed in the story that spans nearly sixty years. Redemptive and poignant, painful and hopeful, this historical novel shows another side to the war and how much it impacted the lives of ordinary and not-so-ordinary citizens living during a tumultuous time.

Overall, this novel reminded this reader of Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key, a story that still remains firmly in my memory, and one that I continue to recommend. The same is true about Shattuck’s novel; it is a highly recommended read. Since finishing this novel, I read that the author’s grandmother and mother had similar experiences in the war, which explains the why the novel feels so real, so personal. As it says in the acknowledgments, she listened to the stories of her grandmother and aunt. To me, it also explains the dedication, which is in memory of her mother and grandmother.

There are several quotes from the prologue that could be interpreted as being ripped out of today’s headlines, which this reader found chilling. Here are a few of them:

“I urge you to beware of our leadership’s aggression versus If we are not vigilant, our leader’s aggressive intentions will only be the beginning…” (page 3)

“…was being run by a loudmouthed rabble-rouser, bent on baiting other nations to war and making life miserable for countless innocent citizens.” (page 10)

“This man–the zealot who calls himself our leader–will ruin everything we have achieved as a united nation.” (page 12)

One small nitpicky thing: On the next-to-last-page (354), “The original cross Franz Muller carved into the trunk has grown out of sight, and there is a new one, a stripe he gouged into the bark maybe fifteen years ago, which itself has moved up.” While this reader understands that it was a plot device to underscore the significance of this tree, the reality is that a tree grows up and outward, but the trunk stays in the same position and that includes any carvings. It may have been corrected in the final edition, but this reader suspects otherwise.

On the other hand, this reader will be looking to read other books by this author. Jessica Shattuck has a few other titles.

Recently this pedometer geek reader had the pleasure of becoming an Elite reader for author Simone Pond’s novel River of Magic, the second novel in The Mysterium Chronicles. What that meant is prior to its publication, the author gave her Elite readers the opportunity to read her newest novel, an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC); however, this reader hadn’t read the first novel in the series. The author was kind enough to offer a copy of this one as well, and this is the extended review of Exodus of Magic.

Exodus of Magic

by Simone Pond

Published by Ktown Waters Publishing, 2017

ISBN: 978-1542980968

Having read other novels by indie author Simone Pond. this reader knew, or certainly suspected, that reading this novel would be a treat, and it was. She has deftly moved from YA dystopian fiction to the genre of urban fantasy.

From the back cover:

An ancient prophecy. A chosen leader. A warlock who will stop at nothing.

As the novel opens, readers are introduced to the female protagonist, Jordan Bachar, a recent graduate of the Academy, the school that trains operatives to protect the citizens of the right-bank in Mysterium, one of the lands of the Confederated Six (by the way, there is a map of the world of the Confederated Six included at the beginning of the novel). She and her fellow graduates are attending a charity ball, held by her adopted mother, Charity Bachar, to celebrate the newest graduates. Charity’s father just happens to be the Prime Master of Mysterium, but Jordan has never felt she has measured up to his expectations so that she is out to prove that she is worthy of being one of these elite operatives.

During this festive event, Jordan finds herself protecting the attendees from a mage-terrorist by using her hidden, illegal magic (magic is illegal in the city of Mysterium). Unfortunately, the Prime Master’s chief counselor, Pierce Magnus, recognizes this and subsequently blackmails her into secretly working for him. This sets off a cascade of events leading to her discovery of an ancient prophecy.

This prophecy involves her…in fact, she discovers she is the Chosen One. She is the one who will save the Ancient Ones of the left-bank of Mysterium, that is, if she survives. Paranormal creatures including a powerful warlock are out to stop her, but she will be joined in her quest by other magical persons in this first novel of the series.

The novel is engaging right from the start so that it is difficult to stop reading (to be honest, this pedometer geek reader devoured it). The characters, both the good and the bad, are realistic (for the genre). Pond doesn’t give away anything so that the reader is constantly guessing who is a good guy and who isn’t. Overall, it is a fun read, and it definitely sets the reader up for River of Magic, the sequel. The tale is complete as is, but there are enough unanswered questions that the reader desires to know: how will Jordan save the Ancient Ones from their exile? How will she save the world of Mysterium?

This reader is looking forward to reading the upcoming second book; as an Elite reader, that will be as soon as this review is posted. Expect a review soon as the book will available to the public as of today, March 28, 2017 (in other words, don’t wait for my review, read both of them now!) For those who love paranormal creatures (vampires, witches, mages, and more) and urban fantasy, this will be right up your alley.

One nit-picky thing that this reader found throughout the story: the term Chosen One was over-utilized by the protagonist. Most heroes/heroines in stories tend to disbelieve in their role in the universe and downplay it, acting only “because they had to,” (that it was the right thing to do). Perhaps, Jordan’s use was meant to be self-deprecating and funny, but it became a bit tedious; however, having said that, when she was called CO by some of her compatriots, that was rather clever, and it certainly is not a reason to forgo reading this series.

The latest novel this pedometer geek read was a complimentary copy of one of Pamela Fagan Hutchins’ novels, which the author offered as a consolation prize to a giveaway she was running. Thanks again for this book. Frankly, can’t recall the other book title at the moment, but here is the extended review of the novel, Going for Kona (which was gifted by the author).

Going for Kona

by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Published by SkipJack Publishing, 2014

ISBN: 978-1939889188

Going for Kona is a cross-genre story. Billed as a romantic suspense story, it is part mystery, part suspense, and, at its heart, a love story. Briefly, without giving away too many spoilers, co-authors Michele and Adrian Hanson are training for the Kona Ironman triathlon to be held in Hawaii. The day after the book launch at Barnes & Noble of their book, My Pace or Yours? Triathlon Training for Couples, Adrian is killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bicycle. His death devastates Michele and their children, Belle and Sam. Frankly, if were up to her, she’d crawl in bed, pull the covers over her head, and never come out. Unfortunately, his death also drives sales on the book and a media blitz occurs, which is a distraction for Michele and the family.

Michele’s grief for Adrian also drives her to intensify her training in order to participate in the Kona race in honor of her husband, yet at what cost? Her children, Sam and Belle, are paying the price for her lack of time and attention, and custody of the two is in jeopardy. Added to that, she feels that the police are not looking for his killer. Or at least, not hard enough to suit her so that, in essence, she becomes an amateur sleuth. Doing her own detective work may be as dangerous as training; moreover, she may discover things she’d rather not know, but nonetheless she persists.

Will Michele survive the race? Will she repair the rift with her kids? Will she discover her husband’s murderer? All these questions (and more) will be answered be answered as she goes for broke.

This is the first of Hutchins’ novels that this pedometer geek has read. It is part of a series called What Doesn’t Kill You, but this one clearly can be read as a stand-alone. Her characters are fresh and realistic. For example, teens Sam and Annabelle (Belle) act like typical teens. That is, they are moody and loving and rebellious and caring, all in the space of fifteen minutes. The scenarios are believable, as in the example of Michele’s driving herself in her training to block our her pain of the loss of her spouse. There is just enough romance, mystery, suspense, and humor throughout the story that keeps the reader engaged and emotionally connected to the characters.

There were the usual What-the-trends seen. Several of the characters (Adrian, Belle) had green eyes, and of course, there was at least one incident of hair tucking, but overall, it was a fun read, which means this reader intends to read other novels by this author. Actually, at least two of them (Saving Grace and Heaven to Betsy) are already downloaded on my Kindle, but I digress. What more needs to be said?

The pedometer geek reader’s local library, the Huron Public Library, had an event with a publisher’s representative (Penguin, I believe it was) almost two years ago. The rep discussed various upcoming titles that she was excited to represent (some of which this reader has read, but I digress). She also gave participants the opportunity to have some copies of other upcoming titles. This reader chose an uncorrected bound proof of Vanishing Games, which was written by Roger Hobbs. Thus, despite the tardiness related to the time since receiving the novel, this pedometer geek reader now presents the extended review.

Vanishing Games

by Roger Hobbs

Published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2015

a division of Random House, LLC

ISBN:978-0-385-35264-2

Vanishing Games is the thrilling sequel to Hobbs’ debut novel, Ghostman. Having not read that one, it was with some trepidation that this reader began to read his second novel. What if it was the continuation of a story that had ended with a cliff-hanger ending? Would it make any sense or would it always be a matter of trying to figure out the “rest of the story,” in a sense, always playing a game of catch up? Well, the answer is: No. This story can be read as a stand-alone.

While the main characters of Angela and Jack were the same, there is little that harkens back to the first story. When there are references to earlier exploits and events, the author deftly explains enough so that the reader is not wandering around in the dark. Because of those little explanations of the characters’ past history, this reader feels compelled to read the first one. Yes, some of the events will be less dramatic, but not so much as to deny the reader from enjoying the tale and getting all the gritty details.

Without too many spoilers, this tale, set in Asia, specifically Macau and Hong Kong, has pirates, smuggling, organized crime, master criminals/thieves, and mercenaries. As the novel opens, a group of pirates opens fire on a small yacht, a yacht that is smuggling a fortune in uncut sapphires. More than that, the pirates stumble upon a greater treasure, and only one man from the crew survives, and he plans to disappear completely with both.

His boss, Angela, isn’t about to let that happen. But, who to trust?

It’s been six years since Jack, known as the Ghostman, last saw Angela; six years since their last caper, the one that was so botched that Jack barely escaped with his life. Frankly, without his partner in crime, Jack has become bored and is gambling away his life when he gets a message he never expected. Angela is alive and needs him to travel to Macau immediately.

Without a thought for his safety (can she really be alive?), he takes off only to find himself running for his life again. Finally, the two re-connect, and it is up to the two of them to retrieve the merchandise (the sapphires) without getting themselves killed. Non-stop action and dangerous situations liberally litter this thriller that has them caught between a mercenary and a triad (an organized crime family). Ultimately, will either of them survive, and if so, will they get merchandise before pulling another vanishing act?

The writing style and the plot is reminiscent of the novels of Gerald Browne, a writer this reader has enjoyed over the years. Twists and turns, double-crosses, intrigue, and more make for compelling can’t-put-it-down reading. Hobbs gives a bit of background information to enhance the reader’s understanding of unfamiliar concepts, but not in a heavy-handed manner. Overall, it’s a suspenseful read that is complete as is, but leaves potential for more from this author. Will there be another story featuring Jack?

Secrets of Men…in a Lifeboat, debut novel of Todd R. Baker, was the latest Goodreads giveaway this pedometer geek reader had the privilege of reading. This is the extended review.

Secrets of Men…in a Lifeboat

by Todd R. Baker

Published by Aqueous Books, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-692-55484-5

Writing this review was difficult because this reader both loved this novel and hated this novel. On one hand it is so upbeat and positive, and on the other hand it is a downer and negative. Is this possible? Absolutely, since the protagonist, Luke Morrow, is both a decent, likeable person and also a absolutely deplorable jerk. Without telling too many spoilers, the story is divided into two parts.

As the story begins, down-on-his-luck, single father Luke loves his eight-year-old son Trevor; however, he has over-reached with an entrepreneurial enterprise causing him to lose his job, his home, and maybe even time with his child. To add to his troubles, his ex-wife and her new husband are contemplating moving across the country and planning on taking Trevor with them.

With everything weighing him down, he is contemplating suicide. On the verge of killing himself, Luke undergoes a miracle or actually many of them. Luke then becomes a successful, but brutal man, taking no prisoners as he uses friends, employees, lovers, and anyone who crosses his path until they become liabilities. He becomes everything he thought he was destined to be when he was down and out. Yet, in the end, the outcome may be the same when a monumental choice must be made that will affect his son and him.

This decision will be one of life or death, and which will he choose? Can (and will) he make the right choice? Will there be one more miracle for Luke?

A few impressions from the novel: This reader loved the interactions between Luke (before) and Trevor. He is obviously a great father, who loves his kid and tries to do everything he can to make a good life for him. On the other hand, the interactions between Luke (after) and Trevor are downright sad and shows just how brutal a man Luke has become. Although though there were plenty of memorable characters in the story, one ancillary character stood out in this reader’s mind: One Leg. The cover of the book, that of a budding lemon tree, which Luke and Trevor call the lemonette tree, was absolutely gorgeous, too.

An issue worth noting was the constantly changing name of Luke’s assistant. Sometimes it was Stacy; other times it was Tracy (one time on consecutive pages). Intentional or not, it was confusing and frankly, this reader wasn’t sure which was the correct name or if they were really two different characters.

One particular passage struck this reader as truly profound. Starting the quotes with Luke’s words, alternating with Trevor’s words, and so on,

“…you still remember what my real job is, the only important one?”

“I forget.”

“My job is to love you. What’s your job?”

“I forget.”

“Your job is to be a kid. And you know what I say? The two easiest jobs in the world.” (page 15)